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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Last Resort
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"L-Lord Monarch…!"
Park Hyeon-gun's mind went blank.
Whether stabbed by a sword.
Or having his bones broken.
Or getting pummeled by Rimon.
He had never once stopped thinking.
That was the power of his unique skill, 『Prestige and Name』, which made lies possible in any situation.
But even Park Hyeon-gun couldn't do anything now but flap his mouth like a dying fish.
The situation was that bewildering.
"Disgusting? Isn't that a bit harsh, even for a close aide you once trusted?"
"Didn't you ask for my honest impression?"
"Well, fair enough."
Rimon teased him with a cackle.
Lee Cheongi brushed it off calmly.
Watching the two men right in front of him, Park Hyeon-gun was utterly dumbfounded.
'How…?'
As far as Park Hyeon-gun knew, these two were absolutely incompatible.
Lee Cheongi had tried to eliminate Rimon as an obstacle to his absolute rule, and Rimon had gone so far as to take hostages just to draw Lee Cheongi out.
Yet not only were they standing side by side, they were chatting as casually as could be.
Park Hyeon-gun was beyond stunned—his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"What, surprised? That both me and this bastard are still breathing?"
"..."
Sensing his bewilderment.
Rimon grinned and asked, but Park Hyeon-gun couldn't muster a reply.
He just trembled, his pupils shaking in confusion.
Rimon smirked at the sight.
"Honestly, I did plan to kill him."
Originally, Lee Cheongi was just someone Rimon pondered how torturously to kill.
There was no reason to let him live.
"But no matter how I thought about it, I wasn't sure if this bastard was really the one I needed to collect my blood debt from."
After interrogating the dying Lee Cheongi.
Rimon found himself wrestling with a different dilemma.
He'd realized Lee Cheongi was merely a puppet—the true mastermind pulling the strings was someone else.
Could he just kill Lee Cheongi, the only potential clue, without knowing the real culprit?
Rimon thought it over coldly.
And made his decision.
"So I put killing him on hold. At least until I find the real target for my blood debt."
It was an utterly absurd notion.
One that treated Lee Cheongi's life like a pebble in his pocket.
But Lee Cheongi's reaction was nonchalant.
As if it were only natural that Rimon could kill him anytime he wanted—no need to get worked up over it.
'Th-this madman…!'
Park Hyeon-gun groaned involuntarily.
Having served Lee Cheongi for so long, he knew full well how ironclad his pride was.
Yet the Infinite Monarch was taking this in stride? It was unbelievable.
But amid his disbelief, Park Hyeon-gun felt several mysteries click into place.
How Rimon had gotten here.
Why the guild members hadn't shown up.
How he'd found his bank account.
Why Seo Yongchan had spilled everything.
All of it would've been trivial for Rimon, but impossible for Lee Cheongi alone.
And that meant one thing.
Lee Cheongi knew every dirty secret Rimon had exposed about him, down to the last detail.
"Lord Monarch, it's a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding…"
Even in near-panic, Park Hyeon-gun instinctively tried to make excuses.
But Lee Cheongi didn't listen.
He just murmured softly.
"You're saying it's all a misunderstanding that I ordered you to siphon guild funds and use the orphanage kids as hostages?"
"Th-that's…"
"Director Park."
Lee Cheongi cut him off.
And spoke in a voice so icy it could freeze his heart solid.
"Don't speak anymore. My ears are rotting."
"…!"
As if his face alone was repulsive.
Lee Cheongi's usually impassive eyes now brimmed with blatant contempt. Park Hyeon-gun's face twisted.
He'd realized it all.
That lies were useless now.
That Lee Cheongi would never trust him again.
That his position in Infinity Guild was finished.
Of course it was.
No matter how powerful 『Prestige and Name』 was, it couldn't turn every lie into truth.
Convince Lee Cheongi after he'd uncovered every scheme and pinned all the blame on him?
If that were possible, Park Hyeon-gun would already be the eleventh monarch.
Besides, Lee Cheongi tolerated no flaws.
He'd discard even those who gave their all if they didn't deliver perfection—let alone forgive this level of disgrace.
Knowing that better than anyone, the frozen Park Hyeon-gun received his final ultimatum.
"You're fired."
No disappointment, no hesitation, no regret.
Like tossing out trash.
Lee Cheongi notified him coldly.
Hearing it, Park Hyeon-gun felt something snap in his mind.
'Fired? Kicked out? From Infinity Guild… me?'
Despair at losing everything.
Crushing defeat from being ousted from the guild that was his whole life.
Mingled with rage at Rimon and Lee Cheongi who'd cornered him, his vision flushed blood-red.
In that instant, Park Hyeon-gun roared and swung his fist.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Kwajik!
With the sword still lodged in his shoulder, forcing the movement sent excruciating pain through him, bones crunching like they were shattering.
But he didn't care.
Seizing the moment Rimon dodged his fist and stepped back, he yanked his shoulder free from the blade and screamed like a beast.
"While you were playing around in dungeons, I built Infinity Guild to what it is today! Every corner of this guild has my fingerprints on it!"
Before Lee Cheongi was called monarch.
From the very start, when Infinity Guild was first founded.
While other members dungeon-crawled and obsessed over leveling up.
He'd restructured the organization, forged ties with politicians, secured sales networks for dungeon byproducts, recruited new talent—shouldered every aspect of guild operations.
So he was proud.
Infinity Guild had become a top-ten powerhouse because of his efforts.
And he believed.
That it was practically his guild.
"And now you're firing me over something this trivial? You, who only became monarch thanks to a cheat skill you lucked into!"
Park Hyeon-gun gnashed his teeth.
If he had a cheat skill like 『Ability Replication』, he could've grown Infinity Guild several times bigger.
Yet this guy, who just cleared dungeons as a figurehead.
Who showed zero interest in guild management.
Was firing him?
What could be more ungrateful!?
That's why.
Why rage boiled away his reason, and Park Hyeon-gun resolved to use his final resort.
"Fine! I'll kill you all!"
It was pure madness.
Challenging the Infinite Monarch Lee Cheongi—and even Rimon, who'd crushed him—was suicide.
But Park Hyeon-gun had his ace.
[Chance of lies using target's name succeeding: 76%.]
[Credit rating meets minimum requirements.]
Unique Skill 『Prestige Impersonation』 activated.
[For 152 minutes, forge and use all of Lee Cheongi's skills and stats up to 76%.]
[However, post-use, the correction from 『Prestige and Name』 on lies using the target's name resets.]
"Hm…?"
Lee Cheongi made a strange face as a sudden weakness drained his body, coinciding with the system messages.
Seeing it, Park Hyeon-gun grinned ferociously.
"Too late for regrets now, Lee Cheongi! You forced me to use this skill—you'll die by my hand for sure!"
"...I see. So you were hiding a skill like this."
『Prestige Impersonation』
Park Hyeon-gun's final card.
A derivative of 『Prestige and Name』, which deceived even contracted constellations to steal their skills and blessings.
Of course, the forged skills were weakened, and only usable for a limited time.
But it could replicate unique skills.
And by hijacking blessings, it weakened the opponent.
Lee Cheongi was now at 24% capacity, while Park could wield 76% of his power.
Stat difference alone: triple.
He could kill Lee Cheongi in one shot now.
Rimon was the issue, but Park wasn't worried.
'A mere Sword Master isn't my match!'
That he'd beaten Lee Cheongi?
Obvious from the conversation.
But that was just Lee Cheongi botching his skills like an idiot.
With 76% of his true power, Park was confident he could toy with an outdated relic like Rimon.
Losing to a normie despite thousands of skills? Unthinkable.
"You first, Rimon Asfelder!"
So Park targeted Rimon first.
To prove Lee Cheongi's incompetence and humiliate him by dropping Rimon.
"Die…!"
Sruk.
But before he could even activate a skill.
Park Hyeon-gun froze.
His right hand, outstretched for attack.
Was sliced clean from the wrist, rolling on the floor.
"Kuaaaak!"
"Didn't I tell you?"
Rimon, who'd severed it, let his dripping sword hang low.
Gripping his stump and screaming, Park Hyeon-gun heard Rimon's chilling voice continue.
"Not to call my name so casually, asshole."
"Y-you outdated relic, sneaking a cheap shot…!"
"Cheap?"
Suddenly attacking is cheap?
Rimon gave an incredulous look at Park's furious shout.
And shot back.
"Don't get it twisted, asshole. I didn't come here to duel you for fun. I came to kill you."
If you want fair-play fights with prep time, go be a pro athlete.
Rimon sneered openly.
Park glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Don't strut around just because you got a lucky hit while I was off-guard!"
"I'm not strutting. Don't you realize you're the idiot who let his guard down against an enemy?"
"You fucking bastard…!"
Park ground his teeth at the mockery.
And this time, he prepared skills with murderous intent oozing out.
'I'll kill him. Kill him for sure!'
Block pain with healing skills like 『Regeneration』, 『Super Regeneration』, 『Combat Recovery』, 『Pain Nullification』, and regrow his right hand.
Boost physical abilities to the max with buffs like 『Super Acceleration』, 『Super Senses』, 『Giant's Strength』.
Predict the future and spot weaknesses with 『High-Speed Thinking』, 『Precognition』, 『Weakness Analysis』.
All that remained: unload hundreds of attack skills into the gap!
He'd been caught off-guard last time without activating.
In a real fight, a non-player like Rimon would vanish in a blink.
Convinced, Park activated them all at once.
Dozens of skills flooded his body and mind with immense power, wrapping him in omnipotence—like he could do anything.
Pfbt-pfbt-pfbt!
"Kuhuk?!"
Blood spurted from his eyes, nose, ears, mouth.
All seven orifices.
Park collapsed, convulsing on the floor. Rimon blinked blankly at him.
"...What are you doing? Why'd you just flop over on your own?"
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